Tujjaria
Tujjaria (referred to locally as the Magh Sultanate or the Kingdom of Magh) is a country in North Martria. The name Tujjaria descends from Iergian who founded a small trading outpost in Izzlmed. The word Tuj meant "traders" in ancient Magh, and Iergian maps use the word to describe the region beginning in 245. Its people became known as "Tujjars" to the rest of the world, and are still referred to as such outside of the Sultanate. The people who live in Tujjaria refer to themselves as Magh or simply, "The people." History Tujjaria was unified by 723 when a local Isbabben emir, Zamstiq I (alternately spelled "Zamastic") incorporated the Tribes under his rule and began a practice of systematically undermining tribal identities. Prehistory The two islands which make up Tujjaria, Izzlmed Island and Iffus Island were originally populated by five tribes. The Magh people obtained a harmonious relationship with one another in the process. Permanent settlements were established in both islands, and an international market located just south of modern day Tinis was established at Zana on Izzlmed. The five Tribes were divided as follows: Izzlmed- The North Island * Isbabben- Controlled trade within the Islands, served as middlemen between tribes, as well as independent judges who resolved disputes between other tribes. The Isbabben were the wealthiest of the tribes, due to their situation at the heart of the Magh economy. * Id Waggag- Specialized in Clericalism and were believed to be especially chosen by the gods of the Magh to announce the will of the pantheon and predict the future. Their word usually dictated when planting season began and ended, as well as the fortune of certain major endeavors. Iffus- The South Island * Ibhharen- Specialized in farming. This tribe was required to produce enough food for the Magh people. They were the largest landholders of all the tribes, and unlike agricultural workers of other nations, were often well off due to guaranteed markets, as their crops were always purchased by the Isbabben. Focused on grain (wheat) and Fruit production as well as Olive Oil production which was used both domestically and as a trade good. * Idbislman- Specialized in fishing. Provided a staple protein for the Magh diet. Tended to be the poorest tribe, and most did not own land. * Imswagen- Specialized in military and security matters. Before the power of the tribe was made redundant under the Sultan's Quota system, the Imswagen acted as enforcers of both the laws, as they were of the local leaders, but also the various religious codes dictated by the Id Waggag. Gradually, the tribe associated with trade, the Isbabben, became more well off than the others, and began to absorb the Id Waggag. Using a combination of extortion and superstition, the new Izzlmed alliance subjugated the tribes on Iffus and unified the people. The Rise of the Sultanate A kingdom was declared around 723, under the first Isbabben Sultan Zamastic I, ruler of the Islands. The Sultan obliterated tribal distinctions by taking hostage a tenth of the male population between ages 16 and 30 from each tribe to form a new class of bureaucrat, who became Governmental functionaries while performing the duties of a professional military class. When the hostages were returned home, their identity was Magh, rather than associated with the Tribes, and their loyalties were to the Sultan, rather than to local Emirs. In exchange for the hostages, the new Sultan instituted a new custom whereby half of the Sultan's wealth was dispersed every five years to the needy of the new unified Kingdom. After five generations, the quota was abolished, but the custom of distribution, which became the ritual of Tamukkest, and is still practiced today as a religious duty of all wealthy people in the Kingdom. The Arrival of Taeideen Zana, the Sultan's capital was destroyed in the year 1054, following Taeideen invasions. As a part of the peace negotiations, the Sultan agreed to accept Taeideen as the religion of the Magh. The Sultan, in turn, allowed the people to keep much of their local religions, though they were required to graft Taeideen strictures on top of those practices. Consequently, the main Magh gods were unified into a single God, and those which were incompatible with Taeideen practice were demoted to spirits who guarded families, loved ones and travelers against bad fortune. The Sultanate is Officially Taeideen, but followers of other faiths are allowed to freely practice their religion by paying an annual, though nominal "tax" to the Sultan. The capital Tinis was founded in 1083 near the sight of ancient Zana, among the ancient Iergian ruins that had been built 800 years prior, and soon became a trading entrepot between foreign traders and traders from the continent of Martria. In addition to local goods produced in Tujjaria, Magh traders both bought and sold gold, precious gems, various commodities and slaves to traders from as far away as Telepha, Alfarorà and Shijie. As middlemen in the international trade, Tujjaria has become incredibly wealthy, and most of the people of the Sultanate live very high standards of living. Over the next 600 years, Tinis became a major trading and resupply center for traffic between Telepha and Alfarorà, and Tujjaria became known for its hospitality, and was one of the main ports of call for travelers and traders from around the world. The Islands always maintained their independence during this period by a mix of carrot and stick diplomacy, and trade concessions offered by the Sultan were seen as very lucrative. Meanwhile, the Sultan also operated a protection racket of sorts: Ships that had refused to trade at Tinis were often attacked by Magh Privateers in the seas adjacent to Tujjaria. The captured ships were almost always burned, along with all their cargo. Any sailors who escaped the destruction of the ships were captured, tortured and often sold into slavery in Northern Martria, where their fate became unknown. Traders generally felt that it was better to simply pay the nominal duties collected by the Sultan than to risk loss of life and property, and the Sultan encouraged this feeling by offering to pay for the damages to cargo and ship caused by his pirates, but never repatriate the captured sailors. Arrival of the Telephan Explorers from Telepha, most notably from Hetheland and Trébole arrived in earnest in the late 17th Century. During colonization of the Continent, the Sultan often played major colonizing powers off against one another. Given that Tujjaria served as a gateway to central Martria, the Sultan was able to offer protection contracts, first to one power than to another, as they pushed beyond the Islands. In return, ships could do a brisk trade at Tinis for needed goods and supplies to make their colonization both possible and profitable, and Tinis usually served as a jumping off point for exploration and occupation. Once more, Tujjaria benefited from their central position in international trade and finance, as the Sultan set up the first Tujjar banks and stock exchanges in late 1690. Never interested in colonization and expansion themselves, the Magh were perfectly happy to play the middlemen in other people's goals for the continent. Magh investors partially underwrote Hetheland's 1790s exploations into Alexandria, and Magh soldiers served as translators for the expeditions. During this time, Tujjaria and Hetheland developed very close political ties, eventually forming a close alliance between the Sultan and the Hethish king which continues to this day. During the 1830s, the Sultan extended Hetheland most favored nation trading status, meaning that Hethish traders are now free to trade in Tinis without paying duties to the Sultan, the first nation to receive such status. Trébolaise traders also began an increasing interest in Tujjaria in the 17th Century. Unlike the Hethish, the Trébolaise decided to attempt to settle permanently in Tujjaria. They were permitted to open a second port at Qarat, in Iffus, and renamed the site "Maison Blanche" due to the proliferation of Chalk white homes in the area. Maison Blanche has served as an expatriate center for Trébolaise adventurers, explorers, and "ne'er do wells" since. Trébolaise traders put into port here rather than at Tinis, and the cosmopolitan city developed a new creole population of Magh-Trébolaise who serve in local government, while the town itself enjoys a degree of self-rule, and appears to be developing some of the trappings of modern government. The Sultan still collects special taxes for the privilege of trading at Maison Blanche, but the taxes are not onerous, and still allow Trébolaise ventures to points south to be highly profitable. Geography The Geography of Tujjaria has played a major part in its habitation and its development over the centuries. The Nation is composed of two large islands which were volcanic in Origin. The volcanoes which created the islands went dormant long before humans ever arrived, but created fairly fertile soil in an otherwise tropical equatorial climate. Area The total area of Tujjaria is roughly 561,000 square km. This total covers the exposed land mass, but none of the substantial continental shelf which lies between the two islands and the mainland. The northern Island, Izzlmed, is 253,100 sq. km, or about 45% of the country's area, while the southern Island, Iffus, accounts for the remaining 307,900 sq. km, or 55% of the country's area. 3.32 million people, or 73% of the country's population, live on Izzlmed, while 1.23 million, or 27% live in Iffus. This creates a population density of 13.11 people per sq. km on Izzlmed, and just about 4 people per sq. km on Iffus. Climate Tujjaria's climate is strongly influenced by its location on the globe and the existence of the strong Martrian Equatorial Current, which brings warm water from the Equator west and south into the east coast of the Islands. A small cut off from the current is means that the main tracking current takes major storms to Tujjaria's east and keeps them out to sea, while creating the opportunity for drier air from the continent to affect the western side of the Islands, especially in winter months. Therefore, Tujjaria could be described as a Tropical Monsoon climate, especially in the western half of the islands. Temperatures in Tujjaria never drop below 25 deg. C, and usually exceed C. Government The Sultan's official title is "By the Will of God, His Majestic Sultan, Kareem IV". Category:Tujjaria Category:Countries